Constellations: A Thief
by LeahChips
Summary: Jinx has come to Skyrim to find new opportunity away from Thalmor influence. She hopes to make her mark as a thief, and after several misadventures on her own she finds a home in the thieves' guild. New chapter every other Wednesday.
1. Chapter 1

The smoky warmth of the Tavern made up for the bitter, cold wind outside. Jinx hated coming to Bruma: it was too cold and far too long to travel for too little gold, but Gregor was the only fence she had left. All of her contacts were either dead or in an imperial prison. She moved closer to the fire just to erase the cold that still lingered in her clothes. If it was Spring or Summer she could bare the Bruma air, but it was Winter and the winds from Skyrim covered the place in a constant snow. Gregor loved the cold, but Nords loved the cold far more than the Dark Elves. Jinx would rather sit in the fire itself then go back outside for even a moment. Lost in thought, Gregor's strong slap on her shoulder nearly floored her.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite Dark Elf!" His voice matched his stance, large and intimidating, but after years of doing business together Jinx could not be afraid of the harmless man. He would take on a legion of soldiers if he had to, but he would never hurt a fellow thief.

"Gregor, I'm the only Dark Elf you know." Jinx pushed his hand off with one finger before running her hand through her dark hair. "Should we take a seat? My bones are still tired from the traveling." She moved to a table still close to the fire and Gregor accompanied her.

"I'm sure the cold whipped through you like a fall leaf. You need more meat on your bones or you'll never be able to handle the Bruma weather." A bar wench came by to ask what they wanted. They each ordered some mead with soup and bread. Gregor gave her a wink before she shuffled away to prepare their food. She was not a pretty lass, she was most likely the homeliest girl in the tavern, but Gregor loved all Nord women. The most beautiful Breton could dance towards him naked with promises of endless mead and he would still chose that bar wench.

"Come on friend, you can do better than her, can't you?" Jinx nodded in her direction making solid eye contact with Gregor.

"She might not be the finest to look at, but the girl's got a good heart." He paused before turning, saying, "Oh I see how it is. You're starting to get feelings for me, love?" He waggled his eyebrows, making Jinx laugh before continuing, "I'm sorry, but honestly you are a business partner and I could never violate that trust. Plus the red eyes scare me a bit." The wench appeared with mead and bread, saying she needed to add some more meat to the stew before she served it to them. Jinx waited until she was gone before answering.

"You're not the only man to say that ya know! I doubt I will ever find the father of my future brats at this rate!" Her words stung with sarcasm, but she was serious. Cyrodiil was not the place for a dark elf to search for such personal relationships. Well, all elves had problems. Humans were angry at the Thalmor and saw anything with pointed ears as an enemy. Jinx shook her head, trying to clear politics out of her mind to focus on chewing the tough stale bread. "How do you tell the difference between humans? Honestly you all look the same to me. A Breton looks just like Imperial who looks just like a Nord."

Gregor shook his head. Most would be offended only because she was a dark elf and the race was known for looking down on other races, but he knew Jinx long enough to know she was not like the other dark elves. She did not consider race when she looked at people. She only saw coin. A true thief interested in personal gain instead of political struggles. In the capitol, she did not interact with people. She kept mostly to the shadows. No one could remember seeing her, she was just a shadow. What is race to a shadow but a trivial thing? Unfortunately, with the city under such pressure, he knew she could not stay a shadow forever. She would have to adapt to this new world.

"I could tell you what every human's race is in a single glance. We are just as different as the elves." He paused before asking, "Why didn't you include Redguard?"

"Obviously they are different!" Jinx said throwing her hand into the air in frustration. "They are closer in skin to me than you!" Jinx pointed at her dark blue skin just as the woman appeared with their stew. Gregor thanked her with sincerity that even made Jinx feel flushed as she ripped a piece from her bread before dunking it into her stew, savoring the large hunks of meat that clung to it. It had been too long since she had had well cooked meat.

With a full mouth, Gregor said, "You do know there are fair Redguard." Jinx looked up in surprise. He nodded, sharing her surprise. "Yes, some are born so fair you would swear they are Nordic, but it's not common, and they don't fare well in their homeland. They look like Bretons. Even I couldn't tell, to be fair." After that, the only sound exchanged was the slurping and chewing of eating. Normally, Jinx ate with grace and manners, but with Gregor it was expected to eat like an animal, and she liked it. Once they were full and Gregor gave a hearty belch, they started to get down to business. Of course, this meant moving upstairs to a loft that overlooked the tavern. This was where Gregor slept and did business. The tavern owner knew this and never cared what Gregor did, as long as he payed.

Once they were along at their normal table, Jinx removed her pack and placed it on the table, hoping Gregor would find something interesting. The products she brought to him were too conspicuous for merchants to buy, such as jewels and solid gold bars. Jinx was relieved to have the heavy thing off her back, but as Gregor sorted though it shoe could feel his disappointment. It was getting harder to steal good valuables with the soldiers preparing for the next confrontation with the Thalmor. Either there was too much security or not enough goods. She only had a few strands of pearls and rings besides the normal gold bars she lifted from the imperial supply wagons. Gregor took everything out, then went to his desk bringing back a quill and a roll of paper, where he began to do calculations. She already knew it wouldn't be a lot, but the number he handed her was near insulting.

"What the hell, Gregor? You never try to stiff me, what is this shit?!" Jinx threw the paper back at him, hoping to anger him, but he only looked sad.

"Look, times are tough. With so many soldiers moving all over the place it's hard to sell these items at a reasonable price. Shop owners are only willing to buy if they can make triple on it. I didn't even take out a cut for myself." Suddenly Jinx regretted her temper, but she could not back down now.

"What am I supposed to do with that? Buy a shack and settle down? You know I have plans!" Gregor nodded sadly

"Business is hard here. We aren't at full on war so there is no money in this. This country isn't good for dishonest citizens like ourselves." He said while he fiddled with a braid "Do you want the gold or not?"

She sat back down rubbing the bridge of her nose. "You know I do, but take your normal cut when you sell the stuff. Don't do me any favors." Gregor nodded then packed the things back into the bag to store in his room. When he disappeared into the room, Jinx headed downstairs and bought herself a pint of mead from the same server. When the girl handed her the pint, she looked about nervously.

"Are you and Gregor together?"

Jinx almost spit the mead out at such a direct question. "No, of course not. We are good friends, but that is it." Jinx still felt guilty for throwing the paper back into his face so she decided to throw him a bone. "Look, you should go spend some time with him. Tonight." Jinx let the girl put together the rest and went to sit beside the fire again. When the girl headed up to the loft, Jinx allowed herself to think. Cyrodil was crumbling under the pressure of the High elves, and the place was a sinking ship. She knew she needed to bail out or she would be taken down with it, but where would she go? Morrowind was an ashen wasteland and Skyrim was far too cold for her taste, but everywhere else was too far to travel with what little coin she did posses. She sat there until the small hours of the morning, but she was no longer thinking. Instead she just stared at the fire letting her mind wander around the problem. She didn't look up until the creak of the stairs caused her to look up to see the woman leaving the loft, scurrying to the kitchen. The girl looked disheveled but pleased. It took no imagination or wit to figure out what happened, but why waste brain power? Jinx set it in motion.

Jinx stayed in her chair until Gregor came down late morning when the tavern was already starting to fill with life. He found her staring into the fire barely even breathing.

"Whatcha doing there dear? Trying to commune with your Dedra lords?" Jinx shot him a look that screamed bloody murder, causing Gregor to throw up his hands in defense. "Whoa sorry didn't mean to strike a nerve."He took a seat next to her.

"I don't have very much else to do. Thieving is a dying art and the only one I know." She said this to the fire, not wanting to look at Gregor who was concerned for his friend.

"Come on now! I'm about to go sell your things! I'm sure once you have some coin in your pocket you'll cheer right up." He stood up and began walking towards the door when he turned around. She was still sitting in the chair. He shook his head, catching the girl he bedded the night before, "Lass, can you take care of my friend over there? Give her some mead if she starts looking to down and bill it to me." She nodded then went back to her work.

Jinx sat in the same place all day. Occasionally the girl would bring her some drink, or an apple every so often, but she paid her little attention while she took the things. When night fell she snapped out of her stupor to look at the people around her. They were all drunk at this point and she smelt gold. She scanned the crowd until she saw a man dressed in all sorts of lavish furs. He was drinking with a younger woman who was obviously there to steal his money too, but in a more respectable manner such as marriage. Jinx felt the desire to do a bit of fishing. She waited until they were both drunk and about to leave. Once they stepped out of the bar, she counted to her number before standing up, clutching her stomach, and staggering over to the door. She had enough empty mugs around her to play off drunk, but she was very sober. Her goal was set before her and she had a clear enough mind to follow it.

As soon as she was away from the bar, she crouched into the shadows and approached the couple. They walked a dangerous path free of the moons light. Every shadow they passed, they lost another valuable. Soon their pockets were empty and Jinx's were full. For a moment she considered following them back to their home to steal more belongings, but that would be foolish. Losing valuables after a night at the tavern was logical, but a break in was suspicious and she had no intention of spending the next few months in the jail. So she made her way back to the tavern to find her table cleared and Gregor sitting there with supper.

"See, you did find something to entertain yourself. Where did you head off to? Darla said you headed out the door sick and drunk, but I know you better than that." Jinx smiled as she slipped back into the familiar seat.

"I just lifted some coin from a well dressed man and his young lover."

Gregor gave a short laugh. "I know who you're talking about. He is a fool and the girl is too smart for him, but she is foolish as well." He shook his head then slurped down the rest of his supper before nodding to the loft where they both went to exchange coin. The exchange was brief but they stayed up there out of earshot.

"Gregor, I've been thinking about leaving."

"Leaving me? But I thought I was doing everything right!" Jinx laughed, not because of his words, but because she realized how much mead he must have drunk in the time she was gone to reply with such humor.

"No, I meant Cyrodil. I don't want to stay here anymore. I'm tired of being mistaken for a Thalami spy and I am tired of being poor." She took a moment to gauge his reaction. All humor was stripped from his face and he was suddenly very slammed his fist on the table, making Jinx jump back. He was never violent around her. She saw him in one bar fight and that was enough to know she needed to get back, but she looked to his face she only saw happiness and smiles.

"What are we waiting for?" He beamed, "Let's go to Skyrim!"

Jinx shook her head in disbelief. "You want to travel with me?"

"Of course I do! I am an old Nord man and I would like to see my homeland before I cross into Sovenguard!"

"Ugh, I don't want to live in snow and mud. Why there?"

Gregor looked a bit offended by her words but kept going. "Skyrim is not all mud and snow! There are regions just like any other place in the empire. I hear the capitol, Solitude, I think it's called, is where the east trading company is." That made Jinx pay attention. The largest shipping company in the empire was full of goods that fetched a high price. Any thief would be lucky to break into such a place and make off with some riches. Gregor noticed her shift in attention and smiled, "Come on, we can travel together! We just have to cross a few mountains and we will make it!" The promise of new riches and the chance to steal from such a large company made the decision for her. Sure, it would be cold, but Skyrim was the place for them.

Jinx let Gregor do all of the planning when they became serious about moving. He was able to find some maps from the local Nords who still kept in touch with their homeland. He made the plans and Jinx gathered supplies. They did not want to bother buying horses, since they would likely not be able to handle the terrain of Skyrim. Jinx made sure to collect warm furs for herself. As she spent the evening sewing fur cloaks outfitted with pockets, she already began to dread the cold. Though Gregor assured her the entire country was not a frozen wasteland, she could not believe him. Throughout the empire, Skyrim was noted for its unforgiving cold. Besides that, she only heard how uncultured and brutal the natives were. She knew the Nordic people were people of war and honor. Even Gregor stepped outside the traditional thief stereotype by carrying a great sword and wearing heavy steel armor. She could not see herself getting along with these people, let alone dealing with the conditions, but Gregor was able to calm her nerves by assuring her that if she could not deal with the land she could take a short boat ride to Morowind to deal with the ash instead of snow.

The day finally came for them to take their leave. As they headed out the door, Darla approached Gregor, handing him a ring. "I hope you remember me and find time to send a letter sometime." She was looking at the floor when she said this, but Gregor lifted her chin to kiss her forehead before slipping the ring on his small finger. He did not say a word, but he did not have to. The moment was good enough to be silent.

Once he was finished saying his goodbyes They headed out of the tavern, then out of the city towards the mountains to leave the country behind.

It took the two a little more than two weeks to get out of the mountains and finally to flat land. When they reached it, Jinx wanted to fall to her knees and run the rock free dirt through her hands, but it was covered in snow. It was the middle of Frost Fall, so that was to be expected, and even if Jinx hated the cold she was happy to be there. The sun was setting and they could not travel anymore that day, so they wordlessly began to set up camp.

That was how the entire trip had been. Silent. Gregor said very little as he lead his companion through the mountains, but Jinx did not think much of it. She knew they needed to conserve as much energy as possible so she did not try to break the silence, but as they sat around the fire she set with a bit of magic, she looked to him. He was holding the ring the girl gave him, tenderly caressing the cold silver surface. It was too small to keep on his middle finger, but it was on him at all times. Jinx knew better than to interfere with his thoughts, so instead of fishing around for the right words to say, she reached into her pack and pulled out a leather cord she had drifting about in there and threw it over to him. He looked up to her, but she was busy staring into the fire. He took the cord and looped it through the ring before tying it firmly around his neck. When he finished he looked up to see Jinx looking at him from the corner of her eyes and he handed her a bottle of mead from his pack as a sign of thanks. Both too exhausted for emotional nonsense, they crawled into their bedrolls and were asleep before the moon even rose above the treetops to caress them.

Jinx woke from a dreamless sleep as the sun was just beginning to rise. She cursed to herself wishing she could wake up in a nice warm tavern bed late in the afternoon. Instead she woke up surrounded by cold snow and a snoring Nord. She began to pack her things before balling up some snow, tossing it at Gregor. He woke with a roar of irritation, but he was not angry. Instead, he packed up and they finally exchanged words after week of silence,

"Where do we head now?" Jinx's voice cracked after not being used for such a long time and Gregor's was just as rusty.

"Well, I suggest we head to the capitol. Get a good sense of the news and the land." He paused to rub the back of his neck before pulling out a map. Jinx joined him in looking it over. "If we've stayed on course, we should not be too far from a Hold's capitol, Whiterun. It is supposedly about three days walk from these mountains but I am sure we can get there sooner if we go by night as well." As much as Jinx appreciated sleep she would rather lose some to get to civilization sooner.

"The moon is pretty full, so we should be ok to see. Or I could make some torches if you would like?" Gregor nodded and she knew they were done talking. It only took her a few moments to piece together a few torches and tie them to her bag before they began a brisk jog in the direction of whiterun.

The first day was not hard to stay awake. The cold bit at their faces, keeping them alert and focused but when the sun rose the next day they found themselves failing. They began to take more breaks and their pace slowed down. Gregor wanted to keep jogging but he slowed down for Jinx. He was built for the cold, but she was struggling. After another break she stood up from the log she plopped down onto earlier just to fall face first into the snow. Gregor lifted her up and shook her, trying to figure out what was wrong with her. He knew she could stay awake for days if necessary, so he could not understand why she was fainting now. Only when he began to pay attention to his own body did he realize why she fainted. He could not remember the last time they ate. He quickly searched through his bag trying to find some scrap of food but there was none. He checked to see if she was still alive. She was breathing such small breaths, he could barely feel them. They needed to get to a town. She was barely conscious when Gregor pulled out the map looking for the nearest town. They needed to double back a bit but a town called Helgen was very close.

"What happened? Did I fall asleep?" Gregor shook his head then lifted her, throwing her over his shoulder. He expected her to argue, but she said nothing as he jogged towards Helgen.

Jinx woke to see Gregor sitting next to her bed with a plate of food. A pain shot through her reminding her of the hunger that tore her insides apart. She snatched the loaf of bread off the plate and began to wolf it down along with soup and some wine Gregor handed her. Once all of the food was gone Gregor spoke.

"I'm sorry. I did not think about food or anything. I pushed too hard."

Jinx shook her head, not letting him continue, "I didn't say anything so how could you know? Where are we now anyways?" She looked around the dingy room. Obviously an inn, but where?

"There was a town nearby. Helgen. I thought we should stop for some rest and gather some supplies. I'll be downstairs. Meet me there when you feel up to it. There is a pretty girl with some wonderful mead downstairs. " He gave her a wink before leaving her to stand and stretch herself. She wanted to crawl back into the bed and sleep for another day, but the sun was already leaking into her room and she needed to stay focused. She stretched her body until all the tightness of sleep and travel was gone and she felt limber again. She crouched down as if she was sneaking through the shadows focusing on her feet as she moved silently across the room. When she reached the other side she stood, proud of herself for still being able to sneak. After so many days of crashing through the wilderness she needed to make sure she still had her skills. She grabbed her bag and left the room, not bothering to straighten up or even search for valuables the way she normally would.

Downstairs, Gregor was leaned against the bar, talking to a very pretty Nord woman. Together they chatted while sipping on mead. The conversation was so intent Jinx felt embarrassed to watch, but she pushed that aside and walked to the bar. They stopped talking as she reached over, taking his mug of mead and gulping some down. She furrowed her brow then looked to the girl.

"What is that odd taste?"

"Oh, I put Juniper berries in it as well. Do you like it?" Jinx nodded taking another gulp.

Gregor slapped her on the back. "Me and my partner will take a few bottles of that for the road. You stay sweet while I'm gone." The girl blushed then went to grab a few bottles which Gregor paid for before putting them in his pack.

They headed out only to see the town rushing about. "Well that's odd." Gregor looked around, "This place was silent as the grave a few moment ago."

Jinx turned to see a parade of carriages being escorted by imperial solders. Her good sense told her she should turn around and head out of town, but instead both her and Gregor followed them until they came to the center of town. They stayed far enough away that they could barely hear what the soldiers were saying unless it was a yell from a captain or some order. They lined up the carriages and began to take note of who was there. Jinx cringed when she realized what she was seeing. It was an execution. She had seen several in the Imperial City and this was no different.

Gregor leaned closer to her to whisper, "I thought we were away from the imperial army and war. What in Oblivion could this be?" Jinx did not move as they moved to the block. In the time it took him to ask that one man had already lost his head. Jinx did not look away, instead she watched as the headman's axe dripped with blood and they called forth a Nord woman next.

Gregor sighed, "Such a pretty thing to lose her head" He grabbed her arm and tried to pull her away, but just as the headman began to lift his axe a unearthly roar caused him to jump and fumble the thing. Everyone looked around in horror. A man dressed in General's attire gestured for them to continue but once again before the axe could fall on the woman's neck the roar saved her. This time, though, the beast itself swooped in.

Jinx's eyes widened in disbelief at what she was seeing. A black dragon roared to the sky, causing black clouds to roll in accompanied by falling flaming stones. The town was still for a single breath, then everyone began to run. Gregor pulled his great sword out and Jinx pulled out her bow. Thieves were supposed to run, but this was different. Jinx would run from a bandit or a guard, but the entire town was in danger and neither could stand by and watch. She pulled an arrow back, letting it loose, aiming for the dragons head, but the arrow bounced off and fell beneath. Her body went cold as she watched a cloud of arrows bounce off it's hide. Gregor did not move from his spot beside her. They would fight together. From the corner of their eyes they saw the Prisoners run into a town nearby, except for the woman whom life was saved by the dragon. She used the fallen axe to cut off her bindings then lifted the axe, ready to fight. One of her comrades grabbed her and practically drug her to the tower. Jinx then turned her attention back to the dragon. It was roasting soldiers left and right and she realized this was no place for her and Gregor. They both turned and began to run. People were fleeing the town, so some would live. They saw two horses tied to a fence. Someone's loss and their gain. They sprinted to the horses. Jinx pulled out a dagger and cut the ropes that held the horses. The horses were much larger than the horses of Cyrodiil, and she could not find a way to mount them. Gregor practically picked her up and threw her onto the horse before jumping on the others back. He grabbed her horse's reins and kicked his own so they galloped out of the city gates. Jinx was barely able to hold onto her hose and nearly fell off several times. If Gregor did not hold her horse, she was sure there was no way to control the beast. Once she felt somewhat stable, she turned her head to see the dragon leaving the town to fly over the mountains. Even though the dragon was gone, they continued to gallop.

"What are we doing?" She screamed to Gregor, hoping he could hear her over the wind and the sound of screams.

"We aren't stopping until we get the Hold's city. From there we will figure it out."

White Run was a beautiful city, but compared the imperial city everything seemed small. Since fleeing Helgen, they were able to calm down, but they were both still very shaken. Jinx wanted to hold up in a strong city with strong walls, but instead she noticed the crumbling state of their defenses. It was pitiful, but neither said anything as they dismounted their horses at the stable.

They walked up the hill, only to stop when they saw a group of Khajiit camped outside the city. Gregor raised an eyebrow at Jinx and she shrugged. The two walked over to the camp where they greeted by a well dressed Khajiit male,

"Welcome, travelers. May I interest you in our fine wares and goods?"

"No, we were just wondering why you are out here instead of inside the city?" Jinx asked as she looked the group over.

His ears pressed flat to his skull and he shook his head sadly, "Khajiit are not allowed in the city. Nords see us as pickpockets and drug dealers." Jinx sneered in disgust. She always did good business with the cat people and had a bit of fondness for them. Most she met were in fact drug dealers and pickpockets, but they were good drug dealers and pickpockets. They were usually very nice people. Gregor interrupted her thoughts,

"Is it normal for other races to not be allowed in the cities?" He nodded over to Jinx.

"No, no! Just us and the Lizard creatures have problems, but even lizards are allowed into some cities."

"I'm sorry your people are treated like that. It makes no sense. Is there anything we can do?" Jinx asked earnestly but he gestured no.

"The only thing we want is trade. If you want to help us, just trade with us when you get the chance." Jinx nodded and the two walked away. Gregor looked over his shoulder back to the camp. He hoped to do business with them sometimes.

As they approached the gate a guard stopped them. "Halt! The city is closed while the dragon is about."

The travelers looked at each other before jinx turned to the guard, "Can't you smell the smoke, man? We were at Helgen and bring news!"

The guard took a step back. "Oh I'm sorry, yes. Let me open the gate." He unlocked the door then stepped aside.

Once they were out of earshot, Gregor turned to Jinx. "You realize we have to see the Jarl or the guard will get suspicious."

"Are we really going to be here that long?"

He chuckled and shook his head. It was true, he did not plan to stay in the city long enough to even worry about the guards. Gregor looked over to Jinx and even though it was snowing, she was humming to herself smiling. "Why are you so happy?"

She flashed him a grin. "I love cities, that is all. I could never be a farm girl, that is for sure. I need stone and shops." Then she pulled out her coin purse, threw it into the air, then caught it. "Plus, we've been here for only ten minutes and I have already picked two pockets."

Gregor smiled, happy to see his partner was happy with the change of pace. They headed to another inn where he asked the innkeeper the best route to head to Solitude.

"Joining the imperial legion or something?" She asked as she whipped a mug, "Well, the best way to get there is by carriage. It cost about twenty coins each if you want to do that."

Gregor looked to Jinx, who nodded. It sounded good. They ordered some supper and ate it quickly before heading back to the stables. The carriage driver was there, so they both bought their passage, then tied their horses to the carriage.

The carriage was far faster and more comfortable than traveling by themselves would have been. The driver was silent, but he kept them moving on the safest paths and got them there in less than four days.

Upon arriving at Solitude, Gregor whistled at the size of the walls. It screamed capitol city with its strong walls and flags; Whiterun was so small and weak in comparison. Jinx wanted to run into the gates as soon as the carriage stopped, but she kept her cool as they took their horses to a stable and paid the owner to take care of their horses for them.

They walked as calm as could be up the hill and into the city. Several guards stopped them and asked them if they were there to join the army, and every time they said no. Jinx was a bit let down by the amount of imperial soldiers in Skyrim since she left Bruma to get away from the soldiers and now they were everywhere, but these soldiers were not fighting the Thalmor. Apparently there was some civil war going on, but neither of them knew what it was all about. So when they entered the city to see another execution, they were not surprised. They listened to the Captain of the guard ramble about the man on trial opening a gate for someone. Both Gregor and Jinx rolled their eyes together. During war even the most minor offence was considered high treason punishable by death. The two were beginning to bore of executions when Jinx turned her ear to the crowd. There were family members of the prisoner being harassed and other citizens booing the man when he tried to say his last words. Their hostility was a bit frightening to hear.

When the man's head began to roll, the crow disappeared, but Jinx moved forward. She saw a trinket fly from the mans neck and it was small enough that the men clearing up the body would miss. As soon as most cleared away she let her hand dart up onto the stage where she pulled a broken necklace from the gore. Gregor walked over to pull out his water sack where the water cleaned the blood off. He did not understand when the dark elf shoved the trinket in her pocket. Could she not know it was the amulet of Talos? And if she did why would she keep it? But he decided not to ask as she pushed past him and began to walk about the town. He said to her back as she walked away.

"I'll be at the inn, so find me when you're done exploring." Jinx gave a short nod but did not turn around to look at him. Instead, she walked as she watched a bird of prey fly through the sky.


	2. Chapter 2

Jinx wandered the city for several hours, observing the people. She did not look for escape routes or hiding spots. She would save that for another day. Instead, she observed the people of Solitude. During her brief stay in Whiterun, she saw everyone was busy. They all seemed to have some task to attend to, or someone they had to see. But here, there were few who rushed. They did not scurry about lost in their work. They seemed to float about the city in a daze. Even when she overheard the conversations of the war, there was a distance in their voices. It was as if they only saw the war through a glass window. They were detached from it. They were safe. Of course, there were folks who scurried about. They were either too poor or too aware to drift.

There was a fletcher who scurried about, gathering supplies to make his arrows. If anyone tried to talk to him, he would get through the conversations as quickly as he could, so he could get back to work. Jinx paused to feel the quiver on her own back. It was light, and the arrows she did have were poorly crafted. She would need to find time to visit him and restock arrows, lest she have to resort to using her family sword on lowly bandits.

She leaned against the stone wall to get out of the sun. She could feel her blue skin turning dark, and she valued her color too much to spend too much time out in daylight. As she cooled off, she traced her fingers over the worn handle and the round hilt of her sword. She closed her eyes and allowed herself to think back, to when her grandfather told her amazing tales of her great grandmother, who earned the sword from the Blades. He told her of the great order that was now gone, thanks to the Thalmor. Only a few relics remained, including her sword.

"This sword fought against the Dedra during the Oblivion crisis. Make sure the enemies you use it against are deserving of a blade forged to slay the dragons."

Now that she was older and she knew the truth of her family, she thought the blade would lose its meaning. But memories of her grandfather's training, and the stories he told, surpassed the true dark history of the blade's previous owner. How could he know his mother had lied to him? He never read the journal.

As she stood there reminiscing, she began to feel a creeping sensation across her skin. Someone was watching her with great interest, but she knew better than to turn to look. Instead, she relaxed against the wall and allowed her eyes to scan the street. It did not take long to locate the very obvious lurker. He was probably the only damned Argonian she had seen in Skyrim so far, and he definitely stood out. Personally, Jinx always thought the Argonians were a beautiful race. Their scales were always the most beautiful shades of color that reflected the light in a hypnotic dance, but no matter her own fascination, there was a deep-rooted hatred between their two races. Never had one been willing to converse with her, unless she had some coin or skoma on her person.

The Argonian watching her was hard to read. It was difficult for most to interpret the emotion from the scaly face, but Jinx could always recognize hate. His face, though, was absent of all emotion. Part of her wanted to march up to him and ask him what was so interesting, but she was in a new city, a new land, and that was not playing it safe. Instead, she decided to walk back to the inn. Gregor was bound to be partially intoxicated by this point and would likely be providing entertainment to the patrons of the Winking Skeever. The street she walked lead her close to the Argonian. She turned her head as she walked past, making sure to make steady eye contact. Playing it smart did not mean being placid and weak. She did not break eye contact until she was past him and almost inside the the inn.

The Winking Skeever was beautiful place, full of fresh potted plants and happy patrons. Of course, the plants were an ingredient for a deadly poison and the patrons were mostly drunk before the sun even set, but it was still beautiful. It was not the sort of place Jinx was comfortable in, but from the door she could hear Gregor was having a wonderful time. A bard was finishing a song and Jinx could hear his large palms colliding in applause.

"I have not been so moved by music in such a long time. Thank you darling." He blew a kiss at the young girl who blushed before turning her attention to her instrument. Jinx rounded the corner where Gregor gestured for her to take a seat at his table, which was already cluttered with empty bottles and dirty tankards.

Before he took a seat he stood up and lifted a tankard.

"Let us hear a song dedicated to our glorious empire!" The rest of the patrons cheered and the bard started a new song. Jinx leaned back into her chair with her arms crossed and a smirk on her face.

Gregor plopped down into his chair and tipped his drink over, gulping it down.

"Enjoy the tour?"

Jinx nodded as a little girl took her order of mead and venison stew. Once she was gone, Jinx turned her attention back to her companion.

"I was just getting a feel for the city. Those people seemed to forget about the execution as soon as it was over and just got back to their lives, though."

"How else are people supposed to handle war and death? Thinking too hard on it brings your heart down." He looked around to the drinking and laughter of the surrounding crowd and shook his head. If that was gone, there would be nothing left to fight for. There would be no reason to fight the wars. He shook his head then turned to his thoughts to his companion, "You know, you left your pack on the ground outside. Any other man less gentlemanly than I would have left it for the beggars."

Jinx smiled at him.

"But you forget that I know you, and that you're such a gentleman you would never do such a thing." The girl wandered up, struggling to carry the tray with her food. It was tipping too far for Jinx's taste. She quickly reached out and lifted the burden from the girl, setting it on their table after Gregor moved his own debris. Jinx payed the girl and slipped her a few extra coins as she took the bottles and mugs away. Once she was out of earshot, Gregor leaned in to whisper.

"Isn't she a little young to be working as a bar wench?" He watched as she struggled about her duties. Jinx was absorbed in her food but she shook her head.

"You are just upset you can not bed her, mate, like you do all the other wenches we run into."

Gregor pulled back with feigned affront.

"I will have you know, I have not laid a hand on a single bar wench since we entered Skyrim!"

Jinx held up up two fingers.

"First inn we entered was burned down by a dragon." She put don one of her fingers and leaned forward onto the table, "And the second was a Redguard. And you only love Nord women!"

Gregor gave her a wink,

"Are you jealous, dear? That you can not have me?"

Jinx took a sip from her mug and smiled

"As drunk as you have been around me, I might have already for all you know– love." She returned his wink before turning her attention back to her food. She kept herself from laughing as Gregor settled back into his chair, not to utter a word for the rest of the evening.

After a few wordless hours, Gregor muttered something about how he needed to sleep off his mead before scurrying up to his room, handing Jinx her own room key. Jinx used the time alone to watch the people around her. She leaned back with her feet on the table, observing everything with keen red eyes. It was late enough that things had quieted down, and now there were only small groups of people gathered to chat, but there were no cheers or laughter like before. The little girl that was working earlier was siting on a bench with her head rested against the wall, already asleep. Now that it was getting late, Jinx did agree that it was wrong for someone so young to be working in a tavern. From what she gathered, the girl's father did not even own the inn, but was in the process of buying it. Apparently, property transactions took longer in Skyrim.

She could hear the men arguing over fair prices and living arrangements. Around the tavern, she could see the darker side of Solitude emerging. Men leaning on young giggling girls, grasping at their thighs. There were two elves in the corner exchanging what looked to be skoma and moon sugar for bags of coin, but sights like these were even common in Cyrodiil. Such petty things hardly held her attention, though. She wanted to see something big. The reason she came to Skyrim was for bigger crime. Still, she scanned the inn hoping to find something to rouse her from her boredom.

She saw yet another Argonian with a hooded figure. It was not obvious what they were doing, so it sparked her attention. The only thing Jinx could make of the hooded figure was that it was most likely a female, but it could be a very willowy man. It was not until a gloved, dainty had emerged from the cloak that she determined it was a woman. She passed a note to the Argonian. He snatched it and began to read quickly before shaking his head. He was afraid. Perhaps the woman had dirt on him and was demanding something. Even though Argonians were not known to sweat because of their scales, Jinx could see he was beginning to shine. He shook his head until the woman pulled out a bag. She flashed the contents in his face before tucking it away. Now he was very interested in what she was saying. Jinx found herself wondering how much gold it took to buy his loyalty. It was a very large bag, so probably a lot.

The woman handed him a smaller bag and a few notes before standing to leave. As soon as the woman stood, Jinx was entranced. Her movement was so smooth and flowing, as if she was surrounded by water. As she walked to the door, it was as if the room parted to let her pass, even though not an object moved. She was far away, but Jinx could tell her steps were silent because each footfall was precise and graceful. Before she could even think to follow her, the woman was gone.

Jinx thought to herself that she would never see her again.

The Argonian noticed the attention she paid his client and was staring hard and with threat in his eyes. Jinx turned her attention to other women in the inn so he would assume her motives were simply primal, but of course, he was wrong. Jinx memorized the woman's movements as if trying to learn a dance. She wanted to move the way she did. She wanted to move like a shadow. If those were the kind of thieves she would have to compete with in Skyrim, she would need to work hard to improve her craft. She would need to challenge herself with bigger heists and harder escapes.

Suddenly, she was disgusted with herself. She needed to be better and there was no way she was going to get better sitting at the bar. She grabbed her key and headed up the stairs to her room. There she light a single candle, enough light to cast a shadow. In her room, until the sun started to rise, Jinx walked back and forth, clinging to the shadows of her own creation, trying hard to keep her movements silent. She practiced the dance she had witnessed downstairs, and though she improved with her night of training, she was nowhere close to the skill or grace she had witnessed before.

Gregor knocked on Jinx's door early the next morning. When he opened the door to try to rouse her, he was brutally assaulted with a pillow and any other object within Jinx's reach, including a few questionable tomes which Gregor had to use the door to block. Once she ran out of things to throw, he laughed before kneeling down to pick up the things she threw. He was shocked at how many books she brought with her. Most of them were just journals that she kept track of expense and money with, but there were others too. She had at least four books on potions, not including her own research and recipes. He smiled as he flipped through her little green leather notebook. She drew pictures to go along with the plant's name, as well as where it was most likely found. Once he gathered all of the books, he sat them on the desk, then sat next to Jinx. She moved away from him by curling herself into the tightest ball she could manage.

"Ah, come on girl, don't be like that! Are you that angry I woke you up?"

The lump under the covers moved as if she was nodding.

"Well, don't be, or at least let me make it up to you! There is an Alchemy shop nearby. If you get up, I'll pay for some ingredients for experiments, or maybe a new book?"

The little tight ball loosened up and he could feel her starting to stretch to wake herself up.

"Alright then, I will be downstairs whenever you are ready." As he walked downstairs, he knew he would regret his offer. She would go crazy in this new land full of new ingredients, but luckily he was able to slip out in the middle of the night to swipe a few coin purses from the guards on patrol.

Jinx rolled out of bed as soon as Gregor closed the door. When she opened her eyes, she was confronted by the mess she made with her tantrum. Though Gregor picked up her books, she had thrown a lot of things, including her clothes and several loaves of bread. She picked one up from the floor and tore a piece off with her teeth before tidying up her room. A dirty room was easy pickings for any thief. The mess made it harder to detect missing objects and she had no intention of being another thief's meal ticket. Once she made the bed and picked all the objects off the floor, she picked an outfit before changing out of her nasty traveling clothes. As she stripped the stiff fabric off, she threw it into a corner. If a thief made off with those duds, they would be doing her a favor. There was a bucket of water in the corner along with a rag she was sure was not there the night before, but she was not about to argue. She took the rag out and squeezed some of the extra water out before washing the grime from her skin. Normally, she cared very little for appearances, but after going so long without a bath she took extra time to clean every inch before grabbing a set of clothing from the pile on her bed.

It was a Dunmer outfit, made of red material. It was beginning to warm up with spring, so the thin fabric would not be impractical. She pulled it on before wrapping her hair and tucking as much of it as she could out of the way. Jinx was always losing her combs, so her hair often went unbrushed. Luckily, the head wrap was able to hide most of the unruly mess. Perhaps she would swipe a comb if there was one laying on a table unguarded. Finally, she pulled on some worn leather boots that held two of her daggers before heading out. As she turned to close the door, her eyes lingered on her pile of books. She was glad Gregor only looked at the green leather one, and not the black. She was sure their partnership would become pretty uncomfortable if he took the time to read through the old journal. Though it was not her writing, it was still her secret to bare. She closed the door, then opened it again to grab her alchemy journal. Clutching it to her chest, she finally left the room and locked it behind her.

Gregor saw Jinx come down the stairs and shook his head. Her clothing was far too strange and exotic for the people of Skyrim. It was too bold. The red cloth stood out against the earth tones of the clothing around her. When she reached him he said,

"I think it would be best if you went back upstairs and picked something else to wear. I can wait."

Her jaw set and she glared at Gregor,

"I think not! What gives you the right to tell me what to wear?"

"Well, it sticks out, and we are trying to keep a low profile." She shook her head before turning to leave through the front door. Gregor had to scramble to keep up with her.

"We are strangers to these people. If something important were to go missing, they would turn to the people they don't know. They would think it has to be the people keeping a low profile. If we were here to commit crime, we would try to blend in." Her logic was sound, so he could not argue it, but he really wanted her to change so people would stop staring. Several people turned to watch them as they opened the door and stepped into the streets.

Jinx had no idea where the apothecary was, so Gregor had to lead the way. As they walked, Jinx realized the Argonian from the day before was standing in the same place he stood yesterday. Did he stand there all night, or was that his permanent posting? She shuddered as they walked closer. He stood in front of the shop and she would have to walk closer to him than before. As they reached the door, the Argonian put his scaly hand on her wrist.

"If you are looking for work, you should come see me tonight, stranger." Gregor reached back, immediately grabbing the Argonian's arm and squeezing as tightly as he could.

"She is not that kind of woman, Lizard. Back off." He said through clenched teeth so the guards would not notice and come to break up a fight. Jinx expected the Argonian to be afraid, but he was not. He was in pain but he still tried to remain calm,

"That is not what I was insinuating. You and your mate should come see me tonight for a business deal if you are looking for some work without questions. Nothing more than that." Gregor released his arm and the Argonian walked away quickly. Once he thought he was out of sight, he rubbed his arm, trying to lessen the pain. Jinx was only able to catch it from years of archery training. Seeing him in pain brought a smile to her face. She turned to see Gregor watching her.

"You are not thinking about taking him up on his offer, are you? He rubs me the wrong way." He leaned against the wall of the building, waiting for an answer. Jinx thought back to the Argonian she saw last night and his dealings with the hooded women. If the two Argonians knew each other or had some sort of connection, she might be able to find the woman again. She had to be a world class thief, and she had to have contacts. Sometimes it took risk to make friends in their line of work.

"We need contacts and coin. We should at least listen to his proposition before we write it off."

Gregor sighed, turning to look across the street. He knew she was right and he was never the man to turn down a business deal, but still he could not help but sneer at the idea. The lizard gave him the creeps. Not just the feeling of his scales, but the way he looked at the two of them. They were dispensable to him. Then again, when Gregor met a new thief they were always dispensable until they proved themselves. Even Jinx started off as just a pawn in his own game for wealth.

"Fine. We can go see him tonight, but if it feels fishy we bail alright?"

Jinx nodded before pulling open the apothecary door, leading him inside. Gregor paused before following to look around. The Argonian was out of his sight, but he was still near.

Back at the Winking Skeever, Gregor watched as Jinx flipped through her new book that listed the ingredients of Skyrim and their properties. He smiled when her eyes got big before pulling out her own journal to compare notes. Back in Cyrodiil, she knew most of the plant life and how to mix it into a potion or poison, but when she stepped into the shop earlier that day she realized this was a completely new land with different climate and flora. She knew only a few plants, not nearly enough to mix expert potions and poisons like she could before. Gregor would have been discouraged, giving up potions and sticking with thieving, but Jinx saw a challenge, and she was excited to take it on.

They were sitting in her room. Gregor moved from the chair next to her desk and sat down on the bed. He fell back so he lay stretched out across it while he stared out the window, waiting for his friend to finally take her nose out the book.

"What's wrong? Thinking of Nord women and mead?" Jinx tried to make light of his serious expression, but he did not crack a smile like she expected. Instead he turned his gaze to her.

"Why did we think this was a good idea? We have nothing here! There are no friends to help us out of jail, or someone with a job. It is just us trying to pick up scraps until we hit a break. What kind of life is that for a career thief? I am a fence with no buyers or suppliers. I have nowhere to point you to use your skills. Even if home was dangerous, it was still home!" He paused to take a breath. Jinx watched him as he gathered his thoughts, "You know, it is still easier for me than you. What about your Grandfather? He is your only family and you left him. Does he even know you are gone?"

Jinx nodded, "I sent him a letter before we left Bruma." That surprised him, but he had to keep going."

"How is he going to survive without you? You were the only source of income he had, and there is no way the Thalmor will let him find employment!"

Jinx stood up, rubbing her face. "I left him with a good bit of gold, and I have a friend keeping an eye on him. When I start to make some gold I will send him some, or maybe I will even bring him here. I might be able to buy a house soon. Then I could set him up close by. The Thalmor won't be able to watch him as closely as they would in the Capitol." Gregor was glad to hear the girl had put some thought into her plan. He had just taken off as soon as he got the chance. He didn't even take the time to visit his family's grave or say a proper goodbye to his friends.

He stood up quickly and left the room. It was not an angry exit, and Jinx knew that. He just had things to do before they went to meet the Argonian that night.


	3. Chapter 3

Gregor came to Jinx's door as the sun was setting. When he knocked she called out for him to enter where he found her stretched out across the bed flipping once again through her book.

"Aren't you ready to go?" He asked her, crossing the room to sit next to her bed. She gave him a look before turning back to her book.

"I do not intend to look to eager." Though she was anxious to get going, she refused to show it. She had been staring at the same page, waiting for it to get dark enough.

Gregor leaned back in his chair. "Instead of staring at that book, let's go downstairs and mingle with the people." He stood up, but she looked like she was not going to budge. "Oh come on, you know you want a pint!"

Her serious face broke and she closed the book. "Fine we can have a drink before we go."

"That's my girl!" He held out his hand and she took it for him to lead her downstairs to be greeted by the bard's drums. All around them people were laughing and some were even dancing.

"I wonder what the occasion is?" She yelled over the noise so Gregor could hear her, but he just shrugged his shoulders before walking over to the bar, leaving Jinx amongst the rowdy crowd. The drums were getting faster and more elaborate, and Jinx could swear she heard another drum. More people were starting to stand and dance or cheer, and Jinx found herself drawn into the merriment. She began to twirl about, moving her feet to the beet. At first, her movements were thought out and planned, but then the music began to fill her and she started to dance wildly with energy. Some stopped to watch and a few even cheered. The room's energy began to rise and everything became a blur of movement and sound. Jinx was lost inside the party, but she did not mind. It was not until she ran into Gregor's large chest and fell to the floor that she was brought back to reality.

He smiled down at her, holding the pints. "I'm not so sure you need this." She laughed before pulling herself up and grabbing her drink. They moved to a table where they watched the excitement from afar. Gregor told her how the imperial army won a big battle that took over a fort in Stormcloak territory. The people were celebrating this victory. Across the city, there were parties and music. They laughed over the excitement and enjoyed watching the people laugh and dance. Gregor watched a young Nord solider.

"What do you think my chances are with her?" He nodded over to her and Jinx turned to look. She was surprised to see the woman because she was familiar. The same short golden hair and large profile. Even the scar on her cheek was the same. Jinx had seen the woman before.

"I wouldn't write it off as a sure thing. She might be young but look at the imperial armor. Plus she just refused free drinks." Gregor sighed before leaning back.

"Damn shame, she is a pretty little thing. You know she looks mighty strong. I bet she is a fantastic solider."

The more Jinx stared at the girl, the clearer it became. The girl was from Helgen, she was the one saved by the Dragons attack. She wondered why she was now wearing imperial armor when she was a Stormcloak before. She remembered how the girl struggled to stay behind to help the people and how she was pulled away by a fellow rebel who was too afraid to stay behind. Jinx grinned before turning back to her drink. The girl realized she was on the wrong side, or maybe she was a spy. Jinx didn't know nor did she really care, but she was sure it would make an interesting story.

Once their drinks were gone and a second one along with it, the two left the inn to wander over to where the Argonian stood before. There was no one waiting for them and they were about to turn to leave when Jinx spotted a note stuck in the stonework. She pulled it out and tried to read it by the moonlight.

"Well what does it say?" Gregor asked impatiently, looking about nervously, waiting for a trap to be sprung.

"It says to head to the docks and look for him." They both exchanged looks, already not liking this deal.

"Maybe we should head back to the inn and forget this?" Jinx muttered as she scanned the note again, but Gregor disagreed.

"No. I'm going to get my sword, you get your bow, and we confront this." He cursed himself for not grabbing his greatsword before leaving, anyways.

They headed back and prepared. Jinx thought to put on her armor but as she looked over the cracks and damaged leather she realized it would be a mistake. In battle, it would provide little protection, and if there was no battle it would make her look cheap and untrustworthy. She simply grabbed her bow and nearly empty quiver before heading downstairs where she met with Gregor before leaving the city.

The walk from the gates to the docks was stressful and silent. Each was worrying about different scenarios and calculating how to deal with them. If there was any sort of attack, even a dragon, they had some plan between the two of them, though most were jumping off the dock and swimming to safety, but at least it was some sort of plan.

Jinx spotted the Argonian. He only had one companion with him: a female Argonian stood next to him. Jinx stopped Gregor and jerked her head in their direction. Gregor nodded before sitting both his hands behind his head as if he was strolling causally, but Jinx knew at a moment's notice he could whip out the blade and cleave one of them in two before they could even realize it. Jinx decided to be a bit more blunt with her approach. She pulled one of her dagger out of her boots and fondled it as they approached. She was prepared to throw it into someone's chest if need be.

When the man saw her blade he lifted his hand. "Come now honored friends, there is no need to be so cautious!" He glanced at Gregor with suspicion and a bit of fear. "We are here to discuss business!"

Jinx sneered. "If we are supposed to believe you are our partner in this, then why don't you give me a name?" The female glared at Jinx who returned the look before turning back to him.

"Alright, my name is Jaree-Ra and this is my sister." Jinx noticed how he did not give her name, but she did not care. Names meant nothing. She just needed to make sure she could sway him. He continued talking "So I suppose you want to know why I brought you here?" He pointed to a light off in the distance, "That light house is why. My sister and I plan to take a ship and some valuable cargo by wrecking it into the rocks, but that light stands in the way." Jinx sighed. These were not practiced thieves, but common marauders or pirates. Ships were expensive, but they did not care if they wrecked a few to get a handful of coin. Already this looked like a waste of time.

Gregor spoke, "If you need the lighthouse put out, do it yourselves. It is not that hard of a job."

Jaree-Ra shook his head impatiently. "No, no. If the guards notice the light is out, they will scramble to relight it! I need someone there to put it out when the ship is close." He paused to look at his sister. They shared a look before he continued. "This ship is carrying supplies for

the rebel soldiers, so it is not like we are messing with government property! There is a lot of gold coming in on that ship and we prefer to have it instead of traitors."

Jinx chuckled, turning her eyes to the dagger in her hand. " I hope you are not trying to win us over with patriotism, because that is a waste of time. We are here for gold and contacts, not the greater good, so let's drop the act. What are you willing to pay us? What is our share?" She paused to meet his eyes, "And don't try to cheat us, we are very good at math."

The Argonian did not hesitate before he answered, "Twenty percent of all gold and profit from what we sell."

Jinx shook her head, tucking the dagger into her belt. "No. Obviously this is a dangerous task or you would send your own men, which I assume you have. Make it forty or we walk." Both Argonains frowned in unison before Jaree-Ra answered. "Twenty five percent is as high as I am willing to go."

"Make it thirty and we will even say thank you." Gregor answered this time, running his palm over the visible hilt of his sword. He knew wit would get them nowhere, but they were skittish and would respond to subtle threats.

The Lizard glared at him before giving a curt nod. "You have a deal. The boat we plan to take is called the Ice Runner and is scheduled to dock late tomorrow night." He turned to leave before pausing. "Mess this up and my men will find you."

Gregor gave a loud snort before turning to leave.

"One more thing, friends," Jinx tuned to look at the female Argonian. Until then, she had remained silent. "We are leaving a small boat at the base of the Lighthouse. When you are finished putting it out, meet us at the Ice Runner."

Jinx crossed her arms while shifting her weight. "How are we supposed to find the crash in the dark?"

The Argonians chuckled before Jaree-Ra answered. "Trust me, you will be able to find it."

They both turned and walked down the docks, disappearing in the shadows before a guard rounded the corner. He came because he heard hushed conversation, but when he came to the spot they were gathered before, there was no one in sight. Gregor and Jinx slipped into the shadows and were creeping away while the guard looked about confused. As they snuck away from the dock, Jinx felt her stomach turning with nerves. The deal was already sketchy, and they had given into their demands far too easily, but when Jaree-Ra's sister spoke it made her skin crawl. There was a malicious glee when she told them to meet them at the crash site. When she looked to Gregor, she could tell he was concerned as well. Gregor had dealt with many shady businessmen in his days as a fence, and he knew how such arrangements went. There was usually very little room for negotiation. Jinx should not have been able to talk them into another coin, she knew it as well. She knew only desperate or unseasoned criminals were ever wiling to give more of a share, and the Argonians were neither. They were in over their heads, and there was no way out but to go forward. Even if it meant death by fire, they could not turn back now. Both refused to start a new life running from a group of marauders with a grudge.

Back in Jinx's room, they both sat silently, trying to look as calm as they possibly could so as not to upset the other. Jinx was flipping through her book without really looking at anything. She tried to force her face into a studious expression, but instead it just looked pained. Gregor was fiddling with a strap on her bag as if he was fixing it, but Jinx knew there was nothing wrong with her pack. As he fiddled with it her broken leather armor spilled out a bit and Gregor pulled that out.

"I hope you don't intend to wear this tomorrow. This wouldn't even block a rock."

Jinx closed her book then turned to him. "It is pretty useless. I would be better off just going into battle naked. At least then I could dodge faster."

Gregor gave a nervous laugh. "It might distract them." His sentence faded off and he went back to fiddling with the leather. It was cracked in quite a few places, but it was still holding together. All it needed was a few new pieces of leather to patch it up and it would be fine. He folded it up and sat it beside his body on the bed. Tomorrow he would take it to the smith and try to repair it himself. He still remembered a few tricks his grandfather showed him about repair work, and it would be better to have a well armored friend instead of a target if things went as bad as he thought they might. After a few more minutes of silence, he picked up the armor and let himself out.

Once he was gone, Jinx breathed a sigh of relief before setting the book down. She ran her hand through her hair only to get it tangled in the locks.

"Damn it" She still did not grab a comb. She looked at the dagger she had set on her desk, wondering if she should jut chop it all off. As practical as she could be, she still had the Dark Elf pride and vanity. Her hair was beautiful when she took care of it, but she just never remembered to. She pulled the hood of her outfit back over her head. Even though she was alone, she still wanted to cover it.

Once her hair was covered, she tried to keep thinking about it as a distraction. She refused to think about the situation and she refused to plan anymore. She thought she worked best when there was no plan, but of course she was wrong. She leaned back in her chair and thought about her time in Bruma. When she was still a young thief with hardly any skill she thought it would be a good idea to break into the Lord's home and try to make off with a few of his valuables. She did not map out any escapes or even bring an extra set of lock picks. One night she just walked past an open door and slipped inside. That was the closest she had ever been to being caught. The only way she made it out was to steal some servants clothes and walk about as if she worked there. She barely escaped with her freedom, but was able to make off with an expensive bottle of wine. That night was the night she met Gregor. He saw her sitting in the tavern staring at the bottle. He recognized it was far too expensive for a little Dunmer to buy so he came over and became her first fence. He bought the wine from her then popped it open and shared a glass with her.

She smiled and shook her head. That was nearly ten years ago and neither of them had really changed. Jinx got smarter and Gregor got more grey in his hair but that was about it. She had no idea how old he was, but humans died relatively young in comparison to dark elves. It made her sad to think she would outlive him by so long, but at least she had the memories.

Thinking back to the past distracted her long enough to feel the weight of the day and start to drift to sleep. She barely was able to strip before falling into bed. That night, she dreamed no dreams. In the room next door, Gregor tossed and turned about his bed, trying to fight off the shadow enemies of his dreams. The dream ended, and he bolted out of bed just as the sun was peaking over the horizon in the distance. The sky outside his window was just a bit of pink when he turned to look at it. He ran his hands through his hair before standing up. His bones creaked and reminded him of his age. He was no old man, but he was far too old to be chasing wenches and going on heists. He was at the age where most Nords settled down from the adventure with a pretty woman and had little ones to help with the chores that hurt his big bones. Art of his wanted that life, but it was not for him. There were enough people out there following the norm. There were enough people getting married and having little ones. There were enough merchants and farmers in the world. There were never enough adventures or scoundrels. The life of a rouge was meant for him, not sitting around waiting to die next to someone who barely loved him in a moldy straw bed.

He smiled and looked at his pack. Everything he owned was tucked away in there. He did not have a house or a horse. He only had his pack and Jinx. If he died with only that he would have lived a good life. He shook his head, then grabbed the armor he promised himself he would repair. In the distance, he could hear the smith pounding away at steel.

Jinx woke much later then Gregor, refreshed and alert. She rolled out of bed to pull her clothes on and strap on her weapons, including her nearly empty quiver. She frowned at it, remembering she intended to fill it the day before, but had forgotten. She grabbed her coin purse to tuck it into the folds of her robes as she hurried downstairs where she asked one of the patrons where the Fletcher was. He told her to go to the smith up the stairs and it was around there. She thanked him with a smile that distracted him as she swiped some of his breakfast. She turned quickly and started to eat as she walked out. No one took notice, even though she was so obvious about it. She rolled her eyes at the passive patrons. They would not notice is she stripped their clothes and redressed them all as bar wenches and cooks.

When she climbed the stairs, she found Gregor talking to the woman he'd been staring at the night before. She paused as the realization hit her. The age gap between the two was definitely noticeable. Normally, she did not notice how old Gregor was, but standing next to the youthful girl she realized he was definitely approaching fifty years old. She wanted to smack him for preying on such a young girl, but the closer she got she realized he was not flirting with her, rather they were talking about smithing.

"If I was not so found of my sword, I would be here working the forge for the army." She placed her hands on her hips and beamed at the fire. "My pa taught me how to work the forge before he passed."

Gregor crossed his arms. "Why are you not working at his forge instead then?"

She shook her head gazing above the roofs of the surrounding buildings. "He willed it to an old friend of his. He did not think a daughter could run a smith as well as a man could." She shrugged as if she could shake off the injustice of her family, but Gregor slapped a hand on her shoulder.  
"The smith here seems to have his hands full and I am sure you have time between deployments. He would be very happy to have an extra pair of hands. Even if they are girl hands."

The soilder smiled before giving him a nod. "I need to go see my captain, but if there is any spare time I will ask if I can be stationed at the forge."

"There you go girl!"

He turned back to the armor's bench and saw Jinx. "What are you doing here?" She noticed him using a deer's hide to cover whatever he was working on. Normally, she would pester him, but she let him have his secrecy this time.

"I need to get some arrows before we head out tonight, and I might try to find a better bow." She jerked her head to gesture to the poor wooden one. She had the thing since she was a girl, but now it was beginning to splinter and crack.

He pointed to the fletcher's shop. "It's right there if you want to head inside. Do you have enough gold for that?" She shrugged before wiggling her fingers. If she did not have enough coin to buy a bow she would try to lift one.

Gregor shook his head disapprovingly. "I would not go doing that in the daylight. I would hate to have to do this job alone because you are too busy having your fingers sliced off by the prison guard."

She took a step back in shock. "That is the punishment here?"

"Not in Skyrim, but apparently the folks at the prison here are particularly brutal and would not mind to slice off a few fingers just to hear the screams." They both paused realizing how dark their conversation had turned. Instead of continuing, Jinx turned on her heels and went into the fletcher's, where she did have enough coin to get what she needed, though she hated parting with gold for something she could have gotten for free. She had to check herself from rolling her eyes and glaring at the man as she handed him his money before she practically stormed out of the shop where she ran head first into Gregor. He laughed at her before helping her off the ground with one good pull. Once she was on her feet, he waved for her to follow him to the armor's bench where he handed her the fixed armor with little fanfare.

"Wait, how did you–" She let her sentence fall as she ran her hand over the leather. It was soft but strong and she felt the different kinds of leather patched together. "Thank you." That was all that need to be said on the matter. Neither was big on sentiment.

The sun barely began to set, yet Gregor and Jinx were already at the light house. They agreed being early would be best since they did not even know if they could put the light out easily. When they arrived, they realized the light was cast by a giant flame and nothing more. There were able to find buckets by the docks which they filled with water and set near the flame. They were in for a long wait since the Ice Runner was not scheduled to dock until late that night, maybe even early the next morning, and Gregor decided they would wait until they could hear the boat cutting through the water before extinguishing the light. Until then, they sat in silence, looking out across the water. There were no guards patrolling the area, so they were safe to sit on the stone ledge and let their feet dangle in the air. Just one slip could end it all, though, so both sat as still as the stone.

About an hour pasted before Gregor looked to Jinx. "You were joking before, right?"

She turned and raised an eyebrow, unsure what he was referring to.

He sighed and rolled his eyes, unsure whether to continue or not, but after a long moment of silence he turned back. "I mean about me bedding you. That didn't happen did it?"

Jinx snorted and shook her head, amused he even remembered it.

"Good."

Jinx gave him a horrified look that he was so relived not to have bed her to which he raised his hands and shook his head. "I'm not saying you aren't pretty or anything! I just mean that I respect you and it would be wrong. We do business together and things like that get in the way."

She nodded. "Honestly, I don't care if you think I'm 'pretty or anything'." Her tone was mocking, but she was not lying. "I just care about coin. Sex and emotions get in the way of that." He gave her a sideways glance. "So have you never had a lover?"

She shook her head no.

"Have you even thought about it?"

"There was a Khajiit. He was very kind to me once when I was injured. I seriously considered it until I found his hand in my pocket one day." She sighed. "We were too similar for our own good."

Gregor was so shocked he almost fell off the way. "You mean to tell me you were attracted to a beast?" He was just a few octaves short of shouting, causing Jinx to send him a warning look.

"What does that matter? We live in a age of all sorts of interracial love."

Gregor felt sick just thinking about it. "Yes, you see elves, humans, but to think about a beast like that just is not right."

"Oh don't give me that. I was not about to make it with a cow or horse. We had an intellectual connection that caused me to be physically attracted to him. Is that not what you look for when choosing a mate?" Gregor could not argue with the girl, but he felt responsible for her. Her grandfather was a great man and a smart scholar, but he obviously did not make sure his granddaughter had any sort of social awareness.

"I would rather hear you say you wished to be with a woman then say you wanted to be with a beast."

"Is that wrong too? Who is anyone to judge another person's love no matter how strange it might seem to them? It really is none of your concern!"

Gregor had to keep himself from shouting. "You are my concern! I worry about you!" Jinx's anger fled and she just stared at the Nord next to her. He had been there since the beginning of her career as a thief. He had bought off guards and fished jobs for her for ten years now, but she always assumed it was business, that that was all it could be. For him to be concerned was strange.  
"Well, you don't have to be concerned. Khajiit have different taste in physical affection than the other races. It makes interracial relations difficult. Not really worth my time." Gregor grunted but on the inside he was sighing with relief. His stomach began to calm and his throat became parched. He reached into his pack and pulled out two bottles of the Juniper berry mead. He sat down next to Jinx and pulled out the cork in his.

Jinx picked up the bottle and looked it over. "This the stuff you got in Helgen?"

Gregor finished his gulp then nodded. They both stared at the bottles with heavy hearts. "Do you regret leaving them to die?"

Gregor shrugged before taking another gulp. "We could not have saved those people. How were we supposed to take down a dragon when the military couldn't even do it?"

Jinx pulled out the cork, fiddling with it in her hand as she took a small sip. "We could have made sure they were ok. We could have helped them escape or something."

She stopped, knowing that what she was saying was silly. If they would have stayed they would have been dead. She sat the bottle down on the ledge and moved her hand to the sword, then up to her armor. If only.

"Well, the mead tastes wonderful. I hope the girl is still alive and brewing it." Her weak attempt to lighten the mood was met with an overly eager laugh form Gregor. They both wanted to pretend it was okay. They both wanted to believe they did the right thing and tried not to think about it too much, but the smell of burning bodies was a hard stench to forget. They sat and made forced banter until the sun sank behind the horizon and the land became dark. They were silent, listening for the Ice Runner's approach.


End file.
